The greatest challenge is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Good Habits Important In Meeting Goals

Developing Good Habits Is More Important Than Self-Control In Meeting Goals

Stress and exhaustion may turn us into zombies, but a novel study shows that mindless behavior doesn't just lead to overeating and shopping sprees - it can also cause us to stick with behaviors that are good for us.

Across five experiments appearing in the June issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association, the researchers provide an important new twist to the established idea that we have finite resources for self-regulation, meaning it's harder to take control of our actions when we're already stressed or tired.

Turns out we're just as likely to default to positive habits, such as eating a healthy breakfast or going to the gym, as we are to self-sabotage. Led by Wendy Wood and David Neal of USC, this research shows that lack of control doesn't automatically mean indulgence or hedonism - it's the underlying routine that matters, for better or worse.

"When we try to change our behavior, we strategize about our motivation and self-control. But what we should be thinking about instead is how to set up new habits. Habits persist even when we're tired and don't have the energy to exert self-control," says Wood, Provost Professor of Psychology and Business at USC, who holds joint appointments in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the USC Marshall School of Business.

Wood, who serves as vice dean for social sciences at USC Dornsife, is one of the world's leading experts on habit, the automatic behaviors that make it possible for us to function everyday (imagine if we had to relearn every morning how to brush our teeth or what route to take to work).Learned habits also play a big role in our health; research has shown that exercise, overeating and smoking are significant risk factors for major diseases. Indeed, obesity and smoking are the two primary reasons Americans die before people in other high-income countries, according to a recent National Academy of Sciences report led by Eileen Crimmins of the USC Davis School of Gerontology.

But while most disease prevention efforts focus on self-control, the latest research from Wood shows that the best way to prevent disease might be knowing how to let go: "Everybody gets stressed. The whole focus on controlling your behavior may not actually be the best way to get people to meet goals," she said. "If you are somebody who doesn't have a lot of willpower, our study showed that habits are even more important."

For example, in one experiment Wood and her co-investigators followed students for a semester, including during exams. They found that during testing periods, when students were stressed and sleep-deprived, they were even more likely to stick to old habits. It was as if they didn't have the energy to do something new, Wood explains.

Students who ate unhealthy breakfasts during the semester - such as pastries or doughnuts - ate even more of the junk food during exams. But the same was true of oatmeal eaters: those in the habit of eating a healthy breakfast were also more likely to stick to routine and ate especially well in the morning when under pressure.

Similarly, students who had a habit of reading the editorial pages in the newspaper everyday during the semester were more likely to perform this habit during exams - even when they were limited in time. And regular gym-goers were even more likely to go to the gym when stressed.

"You might expect that, when students were stressed and had little time, they wouldn't read the paper at all, but instead they fell back on their reading habits," Wood says. "Habits don't require much willpower and thought and deliberation."Wood continues:"So, the central question for behavior change efforts should be, how can you form healthy, productive habits? What we know about habit formation is that you want to make the behavior easy to perform, so that people repeat it often and it becomes part of their daily routine."

References:
Aimee Drolet of UCLA was a co-author of the study.
University of Southern California

Citations:

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA
University of Southern California. "Developing Good Habits Is More Important Than Self-Control In Meeting Goals." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 29 May. 2013. Web.
6 Jun. 2013.
APA
University of Southern California. (2013, May 29). "Developing Good Habits Is More Important Than Self-Control In Meeting Goals." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/261069.php.
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

Local Weather

Philosophy

Vegetarian Ideal

Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.- Albert Einstein

Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world. - Howard Zinn

When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion.- Ethiopian Proverb

Disclaimer

My Blogs have been like a second hard drive to me.

My Blogs have been used as a second hard drive, in case of crashes in equipment. Google is a safe place to store information collected while surfing the Web. If any content does not seem to adhere to Creative Commons Rules and you want it removed, please contact me to have it removed from the blog. Everything is true to the best of my knowledge.

Thanks, for visiting this blog.

Friends

We all need a best friend.

SKEPTIC

Listen to all, plucking a feather from every passing goose, but, follow no one absolutely.

Sanskrit Proverb

Look at this day, for it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course lie all the realities and verities of existence, the bliss of growth, the splendor of action, the glory of power.

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision, but today, well lived, makes every day a dream, a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

In the pursuit of learning,every day something is acquired.In the pursuit of Tao,every day something is dropped.Less and less is doneUntil non-action is achieved.

"The field of positive psychology at the subjective level is about valued subjective experiences: well-being, contentment, and satisfaction (in the past); hope and optimism (for the future); and flow and happiness (in the present).

At the individual level, it is about positive individual traits: the capacity for love and vocation, courage, interpersonal skill, aesthetic sensibility, perseverance, forgiveness, originality, future mindedness, spirituality, high talent, and wisdom.

At the group level, it is about the civic virtues and the institutions that move individuals toward better citizenship: responsibility, nurturance, altruism, civility, moderation,tolerance, and work ethic."

Compassion

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

~Plato

Take a deep breath

Feel the stress leave your body.

Living Well

Guiding principles:

Change is a constant

adapt to survive and thrive

flexibility is the master skill

habits are the key to lifestyle and accomplishment

we can change current habits and form new habits

a simple life is a satisfying life.

Blog Archive

About Me

Jennifer believes we live in the garden of Eden and I believe that we are destroying it. Our saving grace is within ourselves, our faith, and our mindfulness. We need to make a conscious effort to respect and preserve all life.

Live every day of your life.

Be Here Now.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate your mind on the present moment.

Disclamer

My Blogs have been like a second hard drive to me.

My Blogs have been used as a second hard drive, in case of crashes in equipment. Google is a safe place to store information collected while surfing the WWW. If any content does not seem to adhere to Creative Commons Rules and you want it removed, please contact me to have it removed from the blog. Everything is true to the best of my knowledge.